Print Is Not Dead in Business Communications

Effective communication in the workplace is a must for any successful business. It saves time, improves productivity, and improves morale by helping all employees understand and carry out the mission of the enterprise. In short, it ensures everyone is on the same page.

In recent years, the number of communication technologies available for internal communications have expanded greatly. Today, you can choose from e-mail, instant messaging, various forms of social media, and different types of digital communications over the internet.

And then there is print. Time was when many businesses printed a company magazine or newsletter, or both. The trend of late is more toward the digital realm, but print publications are still a valuable communication tool. Here are five reasons:

• Print materials are portable. You can read them at home, while commuting, or at the beach. And, you can share them with family members.
• While e-mail may be effective for communicating short messages, print publications allow you to delve into issues that require more thought or explanation. They are especially valuable in providing historical context and in explaining complex technologies or company strategies.
• Employees in the field may not have access to digital publications on the internet.
• All it takes to delete an e-mail is a keystroke. It’s more difficult to dispose of a print publication. Therefore, they tend to have a much longer shelf life.
• Some employees still prefer to get their news off a printed page. The feel of paper is a familiar and comfortable one. Plus, printed materials allow employees to rest their eyes and divert their gaze from computer screens.

If you’re headed toward a career in communications, it’s important to keep in mind the many internal communication options that are now available to managers. That’s why a communications degree can be so valuable. Not only can it help you hone your written and verbal communication skills, it can provide a broad overview of the most effective organizational communication strategies—including print.

Communication degrees are offered at four-year, full-time institutions and at online universities, where you can pursue your studies from home according to the schedule that suits you best. That gives you the opportunity to continue working while you earn your degree, taking as many courses as your busy lifestyle allows. Walden University, an accredited institution, offers an online BS in Communication that explores topics such as communication strategies and techniques, information systems, and the different communication behaviors that you can expect to find in the workplace.

A Bachelor of Science degree in communication can help you develop the communications skills that you will need to become an effective business communications manager. That means choosing the optimal ways to communicate key messages and stories to employees—whether digitally or on the printed page.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a BS in Communication degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.